Posted on 10/12/2007 5:46:32 AM PDT by Sopater
An 11-year-old Alabama girl flying alone from San Diego to Atlanta says a man slipped into the empty seat beside her and sexually molested her on a crowded Delta jet.
The disturbing charges were made public in a lawsuit filed last week in Fulton County State Court could make parents think twice before placing any unescorted child on a bus, plane or train. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
Delta, with more than 1,000 flights a day leaving Atlanta alone, estimates it carries thousands of unescorted young fliers a year.
Savannah lawyer Mark Tate, who is representing the family, said the girl, whose name was withheld in the lawsuit, was traumatized by the incident.
Although the girl reported the incident to her mother when she got off the plane, Tate said no criminal charges have been filed and no suspect identified. The mother took the report to Huntsville police, Atlanta police and eventually the FBI.
"Delta has a very high burden to meet in protecting passengers," said Tate. "We feel Delta didn't meet that. This little girl is not doing well. It's caused severe problems."
Airline officials refused to directly address the charges in the lawsuit.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Agreed - if the facts of this story are as described, Delta clearly has significant liability here and deserves what they get. I was just trying to clarify how these programs work, as I have significant background in this area.
Alleged victim...based on the meager facts presented here.
if the facts of this story are as described
Dear Penthouse...
Which is why they don’t go after the perv.
THAT is my question. I think it’s time for video cams on airlines.
Twaddle!
My daughter started flying by herself when she was seven years old. When she was 11 she flew to Europe by herself. These were visits to family members (grandparents, aunts). Probably until her teens she flew as an "unaccompanied minor," which means the airline was acting in loco parentis. They did look after her from all I could tell. Once a teen, she made these trips without bothering for special status. I'm not sure how airlines are much different from any other situation where a kid is separated from his/her parents. The confidence my daughter gained from these trips is unmeasurable. It was one of the things she wrote about on the only college application she ever made. (University of Virginia)
ML/NJ
Said to her?! There is absolutely NOTHING that he could have said to my daughter that would make her allow him to sexually molester her!! NADA-ZIP-ZILCH!
Same here with my kids (12 and 10) on USA3000 to Ft. Myers to see their grandparents. I pay a surcharge and an attendant keeps an eye on them and walks them off the plane to an me/grandparents.
Your point?
ML/NJ
I hope you are right and it seems that you are doing a good job teaching your daughter what to do. I am doing the same but children can get frightened or be so scared they do nothing. I wonder how someone could do this act without the attendant coming by & checking the child? I tell my 8 yr old nobody has the right to touch her & to get away from anyone who she thinks is a danger. Do whatever she has to do, bite , kick scream etc. Not to believe that person will kill her family etc. I just hope she never has to go through anything like this girl did.
It's an online poll. Everyone on the internet should vote for Ron Paul. If that isn't a choice, email the editors.
Didn't you get the email?
I'm still not convinced that this girl went through anything. I'll withhold judgment until (if) I hear more.
Why do they have significant liability? They have no control over who buys an airline ticket, be it child molester or child. It is up to parents when they book a child to fly alone, to know if their child is mature and assertive enough to protect herself in a reasonably public setting.
The airline cannot be expected to sit with any child that books a ticket to make sure no one touches her. They aren't a parent, they're a transportation company.
LOL!
The airline cannot be expected to sit with any child that books a ticket to make sure no one touches her. They aren't a parent, they're a transportation company.
Delta requires children under age 14 traveling alone to enroll in their Unaccompanied Minor program, under which Delta takes responsibility for their care. They act in loco parentis in this case, much like a school. They sign for "custody" from the adult dropping off the child at the origin, and have "chain of custody" paperwork throughout the trip, until the child is signed back over to the receiving adult at the end. They are indeed responsible for the child's safety in this case.
True & I think you are right.
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